Last night was week 17 weigh in. Lost 6,75 pounds over the last two weeks and now am 3 pounds away from goal. I started to reintroduce the restricted items in my diet last week (I didn't have any of them since week 3 - they do taste good!) and will be moving to phase 2 today.

Cannot tell you how good it feels to be sssoooo close to the weight I was in high school! Watched the Biggest looser after my appointment and planning to run... (not a marathon yet!) but maybe 10 km (6 miles) by next summer!

All of you have been inspiration to me in the good weeks & the tough weeks and weekends! Thank you!

Welcome to everyone that is new and good luck on your weight loss journey.

Torchlaker: I hate to bring this up because I gather from previous posts that it is not your favourite subject, but it may help to add some exercise in at this point while you are trying different foods? Maybe you will find you are more active while away and not have to add the additional exercise?

Sorry I had forgotten to post the ingredients of the "Dietary Oolong Tea" that is my life saver, both before and during my time on IP. Really keeps things moving for me.

Ottawa - you are right. I am thinking I need to add more exercise, plus I haven't been getting all my water in. Forgot about the oolong tea....going into town today....will try to remember to get it.

Ogdog - can't help you with being vegetarian. I am totally braindead when it comes to fixing veggies interesting ways. My neighbor is vegetarian, but most of the things she tells me she eats would not be on IP (dairy, butter, etc.). She told me the other day that she is so sick of salads (I can relate).

Been down the last few days. I think it is because of the weight gain. I knew that nothing could actually replace IP...but I thought I had come close on what I picked out. I weighin tomorrow, but we are expecting a bigstorm here tonight and I dread driving in the first storm (altho it is not as bad as Cleveland was up here. When I was a police dispatcher, the first storm was always awful. People would forget how to drive in it, and we would have accidents everywhere. Up here, they are used to bad weather....but bad thing is, they don't salt the roads, and sometimes don't even plow (money issues, I guess).

I just want to say again how much all of you inspire me! I love being able to log on and see how well everyone is doing, despite some struggles we all have now and then. It's hard to respond to everyone, but Torchlaker and Ottawa have been so helpful....and Princass, you and I are the same height, so I relate to your weight loss a little better than all the 5'7'-6 footers And Sylvie....way to go! So close. And Josh, wow!

I missed my weigh in this week, because I've been sick, but according to my scale, I weigh 196 this morning. My last weigh in I had stayed the same. Not sure why that happened. But, except for Thanksgiving day, I've stayed on the program completely. So hopefully, when I get to weigh, I'll have a great loss.
Glad I had time to check in! Keep up the great work everyone!

The only thing that would worry me would be using too many soy products because of their effect on estrogen. I have heard particularly worrisome things about black soybeans. Hope this helps.

I have been seriously down since the whole weekend/holiday thing. I got sick Tuesday night, and was too sick to cook for Thanksgiving, but I had bought a fortune in food, so I cooked Friday. Unfortunately, I thought that I could eat sorta normally Friday and saturday(and drink wine!!), since i ate almost nothing the previous 2 days. NOT!!!! I got back on IP Sunday. The scale Monday said 164. Now I know logically that I could not have gained 4 pounds in 2 days. But still I'm bummed.
Before I cheated, I had the bad habit of weighing myself every day. I have stayed as far away as possible from the scale since this past weigh in. Hopefully I'll be back on track when I weigh myself next Monday

You will do fine echobaby & torchlaker! we have to allow ourselves a few experiences, don't we? both to see how it affects us, and to keep us sane? i think you are on the right track about not weighing in every day. that monstrous scale can play tricks with ones mind. it fluxuates like the wind - pending on time of day, water drank, time of month, clothes wearing, bowel movments, last food ate and on and on and on. I get the impression from most on this forum that this is not their first diet. certainly not mine!! but what i really WANTED to be different this time(other than to be the last)was to be on a program where everything in my life did not revolve around counting calories, fats, carbs, in the all consuming way my other diets did. before i could not eat, sleep, work, or talk to a freind without the word diet coming up. it absolutely consumed my life. not this time, it is pretty much counted for me, i choose to talk on this forum, rather than with people who dont understand, and i have resigned myself to the fact that this diet will only work for me if i am realistic about it. and it is realism to me to be able to celebrate a holiday, go on a trip and be able to enjoy. My learning tool has taught me to enjoy while it lasts, but dont go overboard, and get the **** back on board if weight loss is still an issue. I can only do this diet if i know i can live normally after. i can handle some restrictions, but not all restrictions, all the time! as told to me once - why do this diet if you can't live happily after. fairy tale, but true for me!

The only thing that would worry me would be using too many soy products because of their effect on estrogen. I have heard particularly worrisome things about black soybeans. Hope this helps.

I have been seriously down since the whole weekend/holiday thing. I got sick Tuesday night, and was too sick to cook for Thanksgiving, but I had bought a fortune in food, so I cooked Friday. Unfortunately, I thought that I could eat sorta normally Friday and saturday(and drink wine!!), since i ate almost nothing the previous 2 days. NOT!!!! I got back on IP Sunday. The scale Monday said 164. Now I know logically that I could not have gained 4 pounds in 2 days. But still I'm bummed.
Before I cheated, I had the bad habit of weighing myself every day. I have stayed as far away as possible from the scale since this past weigh in. Hopefully I'll be back on track when I weigh myself next Monday

Thanks for the info Echobaby! I'll read carefully.I'll also look up the soy bean thing at some point. I just like non-meat alternatives and veggies more than meat.

Sorry you felt bad and keep your chin up, you probably didn't gain 4 pounds but are holding water in and will pee it all out in the next few days being back on the plan!!

Thanks for the info Echobaby! I'll read carefully.I'll also look up the soy bean thing at some point. I just like non-meat alternatives and veggies more than meat.

Sorry you felt bad and keep your chin up, you probably didn't gain 4 pounds but are holding water in and will pee it all out in the next few days being back on the plan!!

Hey, Ogdog. I had to come home from work early to be here when the gas man(or gas woman)comes to light the pilot on my furnace. On the way, I stopped at Trader Joe's to get more groceries. I noticed all the meat alternatives and checked the carb count. Almost none of them went much over 8 carbs per serving, and they all had 2 or 3 grams of fiber. So...6 carbs extra for dinner? not bad.

I know this one brand is very tasty..Morning Star. They're in the frozen section. They make breakfast sausage, link sausage, veggie burgers, etc. I've had to make vegetarian stuffing before and have used the sausage. The only thing is, taste everything before you add salt. These things are REALLY salty. Besides Trader Joe's, I've seen them at Von's and Ralph's, which I think are Safeway and Kroger in other parts of the country. You probably know this already if you've been a vegetarian for long.

Hello everyone!
I am new to the site and hope I'm doing this right. Anyhow, I am planning on starting the Ideal Protein regimen after the first of the year. I want to wait so I don't have any temptations. I just have one major question about the amount of exercise you can do with it. I have been busting my butt at the gym since May doing bootcamp and Cross-Fit style workouts. While I have noticed changes and have firmed up, I don't have the eating down right so I'm not losing like I'd like to. I have 60+ to lose. I hate to give up the workouts because they make me feel so good mentally! When I went to the orientation about Ideal Protein they stated no exercise for the first two weeks and didn't really promote much other than walking after that. I'm wondering about lifting weights. I really want to stay toned! What are things that you've tried and how much can I really do and how soon after starting the "diet?" Thanks for the help! You are all so inspiring to me!

Hi everyone: Welcome NotsoLil Richard!! Richard...I was told that if you HAVE already been exercising before IP, you can keep doing what you are doing...if not, then one probably shouldn't exercise the first 2 weeks. Somewhere on this forum - I think in December - someone wrote WHY they tell you not to exercise...I don't remember who.

SandraB -- you are SO right about making this diet livable. One reason I went on it, was to learn to eat properly once the initial weight was gone. I am bummed that I have to take "a break" before I reached my goal. I need to talk to the nurse tomorrow to see what they want me to do. YOU are doing so well....and you seem to have a great attitude about everything! Yup, I truly doubt that this is the first diet for any of us here.

I remember reading now (and my therapist reminded me today) that when you are stressed and/or not feeling well, your body reacts differently...A lot of time it holds onto weight or there is a gain. She told me that I certainly had had enough stress this past week (I surely did)...plus not feeling good on Friday and Saturday. Echobaby - you didn't feel good. There is NO way either of us ate enough to gain 4#...(I think that is what I gained also). I had been so down because I thought that gaining that weight meant I could not go off IP for the 3 weeks I am gone. I am glad she pointed out the stress/not feeling good factor...I felt a whole lot better.

When I was watching Biggest Loser last night (yeah, I REALLY like that show....especially this season...cuz I was losing weight right along with them, and things the trainers said kinda made sense)...all four were afraid to go home...afraid that they didn't figure out WHAT exactly got them there in the first place. I was wondering to myself -- how does one learn that? Do any of us know the reason we got here at all? AND...how are we supposed to figure it out??? Pondering thoughts......

So - I will go the weighin with my head held high!! I probably responded like a lot of normal people might respond....under stress, I reached for something sweet. At least, it was low-carb, no sugar (well, that was all I had in the house!!)....I would have preferred some Godiva chocolate!

So, I am done w/week #4. Only lost 2lbs, but I will take anything I can get. I think Aunt Flo is coming for a visit which didn't help my numbers this week, along with Thanksgiving & being away from home. So I know what I need to correct for this week! One being not quite so many pickles!!! Two, get my lettuce in! Three, start exercising! Four, track carbs for real this week, not after eatting them, BEFORE I eat them. And next week WILL BE BETTER!

I quickly added up how many inches I have lost since being on this diet for 4 weeks now. 11 inches & 19 lbs. MY cholesterol dropped by 40 points. I can sleep better, I am NOT addicted to caffiene any longer. MEntally I am GREAT, my energy level is alot better then when I started this. SO many plus, not enough negatives to quite. I am sorta getting tired of veggies, but they NEED to be in my diet so that I can RAISE my boys & watch them RAISE there kids one day!

THank you Ideal Protein & Thank you ladies of the board for helping me during my first month on this program!

I meant to ask, has anyone noticed that they are COLDER since starting this diet? Not just because of the weather but staying warm in general. I have the heat on & 4 blankets on my bed. Last year I only slept with a sheet & comforter???

And I wanted to ask again since it was at the tail end of the November thread...any on exercising? Thank you to those who have responded. My Coach recommended adding a hard boiled egg after a work out.